refreshing citrus & cucumber soda/cocktail

although i rarely find myself in the company of children, more and more of my friends in other parts of the country are having them and it seems like a drink that is good with or without alcohol would be a hit at any summer party.

if you are a child or are with child, you can make this with sparkling water and still feel like you are drinking something special, rather than making do with another boring soda. if you are a member of the drinking set, you can splash in the liquor of your choice - tequila, gin, or vodka would all each be welcome here.

first, you need to make a citrus syrup. you can use whatever citruses you have on hand - i had lime, lemon, and what i think was a tangelo. something like grapefruit would also be good.

get the rind off the citrus with whatever kind of removal thing you may have - the one in the picture below was like $2, i think, and it makes nice long peels, but you can also use a vegetable peeler - just try not to get any/much of the bitter white pith along with the rind.

this was all the citrus i had (one of each fruit), but i think if you have more, it couldn't hurt to add it. but this was good anyway. or you could cut down on the sugar and water a bit and just make a little less syrup.

now all you do is put the rinds in a pan with sugar and water (i used a cup of each) and put it on high and once it boils, stir it a few times and let it boil for about 5 minutes or so. then let it cool and you can either remove the rinds or just leave them in there. i left them in.

then once it's all cooled, all you have to do for the drink is muddle together some lemon/lime/orange slices (i used 1/4 of a lemon), some cucumber (just a couple of slices), and some mint.

add however much syrup you want (depending on how sweet you'd like it - i used maybe 1 1/2 tablespoons for one large glass). then you can add booze, if you'd like. i won't tell you how much to put in; let your conscience be your guide. then top the whole mess off with club soda or sparkling water and go drink it outside while reading a magazine (or continue your beach party or cookout).

aah, summer!

*ingredients*

syrup

rind from 3+ citrus fruits of your choice

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

drink

1/4 of a citrus fruit

3 or so slices cucumber

1-2 tablespoons citrus syrup

sparkling water/club soda

liquor of your choice (optional)